Metro News & Reviews

Report condemns proposed cuts to federal transit funding

Attentive Source readers will recall that very un-lovely proposal made earlier this year by Republicans in the House of Representatives to sharply reduce federal funding of new transit projects.

The plan would pretty much devastate the federal New Starts program, which helps local areas construct large and costly transit projects. Such as, for example, the Westside Subway Extension and the Regional Connector, two Measure R sales tax projects that need federal dollars to get built soon.

But, hey, what do I know? I’m just a wee transit blogger. But here’s a new report by Bloomberg that in no uncertain terms spells out how cutting New Starts would also be a giant gut punch to the national economy, with many private construction firms and their employees taking the hit.

As I wrote month, the Republican proposal faces an uphill battle, with a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate and a Democrat in the White House (here’s the less-than-enthusiastic response from some members of the L.A. County Congressional delegation). But it bears watching because these are strange times we’re living in, especially when it comes to any kind of government budget.

Isn’t job creation what it’s all about? This unthinkable cut back will stop economy recovery in its tracks. One can’t help but think the GOP is trying to build dissatisfaction among voters for the next election.